Loading attachment for hand-trucks.



Patented May 27, |902.

T. J. LYNCH. LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR HAND TRUCKS.

(Application led Dec. 20, 1901.)

(No Model.)

e 4g ma( ma Nonms 51ans co.4 PunroLiTmwAsmnGTnN; m c.

IINTTTD STATES ATnNT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. LYNCH, OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

LOADI NG ATTACH M ENT FO R HAN D-TRUCKS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters VPatent No. 700,960, dated May 27,1902- Application filed December 20, 1901. Serial No. 86,655. (Nomodel.)

To if/ZZ whom it 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LYNCH, of Ottawa, in the county of Lasalleand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Loading Attachments for Hand-Trucks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to an improved attachment for hand-trucksdesigned to facilitate the operation of loading boxes and the likethereon.

The invention embraces generally the application to the lower part of ahand-truck of an auxiliary foot-lever which extends rearwardly from thehand-truck in such position that the f oot of the person using the truckmay engage the same, said lever being adapted to engage at its forwardend a part of the truck in such manner that when downward pressure isapplied to the rear end of the lever, which is designed to occur whenthe truck is being tilted rearwardly in loading a box thereon, saidauxiliary lever will exert power to assist the tilting of the truck andraising the box or case thereon.

My invention is capable of being attached to a truck already in use andmay also be made a part of the truck in its original construction.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a hand-truck providedwith my improved attachment, showing such truck with the nose thereofunder a box or case preparatory to loading said box on the truck. Fig. 2is a rearview of a truck and the attachment. Fig. 3 is an enlargedvertical section of the lower part of the tru ok, showing my improvedattachment in position for exerting lifting power on the lower end ofthe truck. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section taken on line 4 4. of Fig. 8.

As shown in said drawings, A designates as a whole a hand-truck ofcommon form,

embracing side members a, on the upper ends of which the handles areformed, connecting cross-bars a', supporting-wheels a2, rotativelymounted on an axle a3, which latter is secured at its ends in suitablebearing-brackets 0.4, attached to the side members, near the lower endsthereof. Said truck is provided with the usual nose A', adapted to beinserted beneath the box or case in the manner shown in Fig. 1preparatory to loading said box or case thereon. i

Referring now to the parts constituting my improvements, B designates alever'which is located in rear of the lower part of the truck and ispivoted near its lower end upon a transverse pivot-pin O, extendingthrough laterally-separated lugs c, projecting rearwardly from abearing-bracket C,`attached to the rear face of the lowermost cross-bara of the truck, said lever being provided with a lug b, which is locatedbetween and has overlapping engagement with the lugs c of the bracket C.The forward end of said lever B projects beneath the lower cross-bar ofthe truck-frame and is provided with a short upturned portion b',adapted for engagement with the under surface of said lowermostcross-bar or preferably and as herein shown with a metal wearing-plate0.5, attached to the under side of said bar. The lever Bis adapted tobearat its lower side against the upper side of the axle d3, on whichthe supportingwheels are mounted, and in order to permit accurateengagement of the lever with said cross-bar orwearing-plate the lever isadapted to fit somewhat loosely on its pivot-pin. Said lever is `formedatits rear end to provide a flat footpiece 222,"adapted to be engaged bythe foot of the person using the truck to depress said lever. Desirablythe lever is provided in its part engaging the shaft a3 with awearingplate h3, set into the under surface of the lever, as shown inFig. 3.

D designates a spring which is constructed to normally hold the lever inits uppermost position substantially parallel with the side members ofthe truck, as shown in Fig. 1, when the device is not in use. Saidspring, as herein shown, is made of a single piece of wire bent to forma loop, which encircles said lever and the forward ends of which wireare attached by means of screws d or otherwise the same time the truckis tilted rearwardly said lever against the action of the spring D intothe position shown in Fig. 3,with the for- -V tirely out of the way ofthe ordinary use of i raising a box.

conveniently of the lowermost cross-bar. The l side members of saidlooped spring are coiled between their ends to give suitable resiliencyto the spring. The bracket C is provided with a stop-lug c', which islocated in position to engage the lever when thrown upwardly, as shownin Figs. l, 2, and Il, to limit the upward movement thereof and toprevent said lever from swinging so far toward the truck as to make itinconvenient for the person using the truck to apply his foot to saidlever.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the device is used inconnection with the common form of truck shown in the drawings, the noseof said truck is inserted between the lower corner of the box and thedoor when the box is to be loaded on the truck, and in accordance withthe usual method of loading the box on the truck the upper part of thebox is pulled rearwardly against the truck by means of a hand-hook orthe like, while at about the axle a3 as a fulcrum. Just before the truckis tilted rearwardly in the manner described the foot of the operator isplaced upon the rear end of the lever Bto depress ward end of the leverbearing upwardly against the frame of the truck and the intermediatepart thereof bearing downwardly against the axle of the truck. The truckis now tilted rearwardly, and simultaneously therewith pressure isexerted upon the rear end of thelever, which acts conjointly with thepower applied to the handles of the truck to assist in tilting thelatter rearwardly to raise the boxupon the truck. A s the lever bearsagainst the axle a3 of the truck its fulcrum is practically coincidentwith the fulcrum of the truck when the latter is tilted rearwardly, sothat powerof said auxiliary lever is advantageously applied to assist intilting the truck and raising the box thereon. Moreover, b v reason ofthe fact that the fulcrum of said lever is located closely adjacent tothe weight end thereof it is obvious that the application of power isenormously increased to assist in After the box has been loaded on-thetruck the foot of the person using the truck is released from the lever,and the spring Dl-acts to throw the lever upwardly into its inactiveposition, in which position it is enthetruck.

By the use of the auxiliary device described a person is enabled withoutassistance to load upon a truck a box or case of much greater weightthan would be possible without the employment of such attachment. Theservices of an attendant may, therefore, often be dispensed with inloading heavy boxes,

which in the employment of the ordinary truck would require two personsto load.

It is obvious that my improved attachment may be. readily applied totrucks already in use without marring or weakening any of the parts ofthe truck, and it is also obvious that the same may be employed inconnection with special forms of trucks-such, for instance,

as those wherein suitable clutch devices are employed to assist inloading boxes or cases thereon.

Many changes may be made in the structural details of the device hereinillustrated without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I donot wish to be limited to such details except as hereinafter made thesubject of specific claims.

I claim as my inventionl. An attachment for hand-trucks comprising alever and means for pivotally attaching said lever to the truck-frame,said lever being adapted at its forward end to bear upwardly against thetruck-frame, a spring engaging said lever and adapted to throw the leverupwardly when not in use, and a stop for limiting the upward throw ofthe lever under the action of said spring.

2. The combination with a hand-truck, of a lever pivoted between itsends to said truckframe and bearing downwardly on the axle of the truck,which latter constitutes the fulcrum of the lever, said lever extendingforwardly under and bearing upwardly against the frame of the truck; andextending rearwardly from its fulcrum in position to be engaged by thefoot of the person using the truck, a spring applied to the lever forholding the same in its uppermost position and a stop for limiting theupward movement of the lever.

8. The combination with a hand-truck, of a pivoted lever adapted to beardownwardly against the axle` which latter constitutes a fulcrum for thelever, said lever extending at its forward end under and bearing upwardagainst the truck-frame, and extending at its rear end in position to beengaged by the foot of the operator, a spring applied to the lever forholding the same in its uppermost position, and a stop for limiting theupward movement of said lever with the free end thereof separated adistance from the truckframe,to be readily engaged by the footof theoperator.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as inyinvention I alix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of December, A. D.1901.

THOMAS J. LYNCH.

Vitnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, GERTRUDE BRYCE.

IOO

IIO

